


Getting There

by peanuts_envy



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Angst, Canon Death, Hades loves that Achilles has pissed off half of Olympus, M/M, Nothing too violent just Achilles war crimes, POV Alternating, Suicidal Thoughts, Yearning, lots of flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29303703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peanuts_envy/pseuds/peanuts_envy
Summary: Achilles finally arrives in the Underworld to be judged, and is surprised when he is met with a hero's welcome, one he feels he doesn't deserve. He learns of Patroclus' fate--that he is bound for Tartarus--and beseeches Hades to give Patroclus his place in Elysium. Hades obliges, in exchange for eternal servitude to the House.The pact is final and unalterable, but the carefree prince of the Underworld is determined to find a way.
Relationships: Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prequel to [Forever Starts Tonight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781808/chapters/70581138) set just after Achilles and Patroclus are sent to the Underworld. I was reading about how during Patroclus' funeral in the Iliad, there were a lot of soldiers that cut their hair for the funeral pyre. He was so well-liked! He made Achilles tolerable to everyone else! I'm sad as hell about the Trojan War y'all.

Achilles stared into the river Styx, contemplated what it would be like to just slip over the side of the boat. He was dead, but the despair remained. There was no catharsis when he crossed over, and he did not expect some great revelation at the end of the journey. Achilles knew that all he held dear was lost, would stay lost, and he would rather be nothing than to keep feeling...this.

He willed himself to stop looking into the ever-moving grasping hands and stared at his own, folded tightly in his lap. They were just as haunting and foreign to him, maybe more so. He closed his eyes.

Perhaps there was relief in death: he would not have to endlessly kill anymore, would not have to pray this battle would end him at last. _Was it relief? Relief usually precludes happiness, does it not? Did he feel happy, when the arrow hit him?_

Achilles had not seen where the arrow came from, just that it struck its target with divine precision. _How had it come to this?_

He thought of Patroclus, of the last time they spoke. Achilles would regret his words for as long as he continued to exist. _If he could do it over--_

_'Achilles, please, if you ever loved me, you would risk it all. Your honor, your glory--it is not worth this, please-- You will lose so much more if you do not, please, please--'_

Achilles saw Patroclus before him, on his knees and clutching at Achilles' hands, begging him to change his mind. The Greeks were dying, the ships they would need to get home were burning, _please please save them_. He had said no.

_But he had done more than that--he'd invoked the name of Zeus to ensure further destruction of Greek soldiers. And for what? Was it all worth it, in the end? Did the fates deliver him glory, at last?_

_'I will go, in your guise. Just to draw them off the ships. Then we will leave Troy, this wretched place.'_

Patroclus flashed in his mind again, wrapped tightly in his burial shroud. Achilles had the strong desire to jump overboard again.

He felt the boat dock, heard other souls begin to depart. He opened his eyes. _Time to be judged, then._

"Oh, wow! _Wow!_ Right this way, sir!"

Achilles was dimly aware that the odd, chipper voice was speaking to him. He still felt dazed. _Where did you go, when you were judged? Surely to paradise. Surely._ Achilles could not let himself think about Patroclus anywhere _but_ Elysium--what he deserved, after all he had endured.

_After what you did to him._

"The hero Achilles!" A booming voice now, different than the other-- _Hades_. "Come now, welcome!"

Achilles made his way down the long corridor, and was greeted again by the strange deity he first heard. He almost looked human, but was given away by his gray pallor and the way he floated off the floor. He was oddly boyish, though he was surely older than Achilles by thousands of centuries. _Was his cloak a blanket?_

"Looks like Apollo had it out for ya, huh? An arrow to the ankle! Ouch!"

"Hypnos, do not pester him," Hades said to Sleep Incarnate. Then, to Achilles, "Do you know how many Olympians you've scorned personally? It's remarkable! I would see you escorted to Elysium at once!"

"Elysium?" Achilles whispered, unbelieving. _A mistake._

_Achilles was screaming, half-human sobs that wracked his body as he tied Hector to the back of his chariot. It would not bring Patroclus back, but it would break them. Achilles saw Hector's wife watching from the walls of Troy._

_Good, he thought. I hope she sees it all._

_He would make them all pay._

_Was this the hero Hades spoke of?_

"Of course, Elysium! You're a hero! The shades here have spun great tales of your exploits; a startling amount are true. Entire lines of nobility have ended at your spearpoint--is that not greatness for a soldier, in pursuit of glory in war?" Hades said this as though it were obvious.

Achilles' throat felt tight; he had the desire to see this place burn, as Troy had. _More heroism_ , he thought bitterly.

"There was another Myrmidon, who came here shortly before I did--" Achilles struggled to even say his name, "--Patroclus, son of Menoetius. I ask, humbly, where he resides in the Underworld." _Patroclus would say he was using his 'prince voice'._ Grief pierced through him again like Apollo's arrow. _Do not weep in front of Hades. Do not--_

Hades looked surprised. The god made a motion to Hypnos, and a piece of parchment was in his hand a moment later.

"Hm. Still in Erebus; it seems he murdered a boy in rage and jealousy during childhood--the reason for his exile in life--but he also died a warrior's death. Though, it seems he was in a guise. _Your_ guise, in fact. So: are his heroic acts still his, or a mere imitation of yours?" Hades shrugged a little. "Perhaps a few aeons in Tartarus, then I would consider him again."

Achilles felt waves of nausea and fear-- _he had forgotten about the boy. It was an accident, a mistake that Patroclus felt such deep remorse for. Patroclus was not a murderer, Achilles was._ He _deserved Tartarus._

_Take me instead. Take me, I will endure it. For him, I would endure anything._

"No," Achilles managed at last. "I don't want Elysium if he would not be there. I would take his place, in Tartarus."

Hades looked more perplexed than ever. _Why was this warrior turning away paradise for an exiled mortal prince?_ This was not the Achilles that Hades had expected.

"You don't want to go to Elysium?"

"I do not."

"And you want to give this--Patroclus, your impersonator, your place in Elysium?"

Achilles nodded.

Hades seemed to be lost in thought. _If the shade wanted to stay in Tartarus--well, this is Tartarus, is it not?_ He imagined Zeus finding out that the great hero Achilles was in servitude to him in the Underworld. All of their machinations, all of their meddling, and now--potentially--Achilles would be lost to them. Hades smiled. How long had it been since he had such a boon? Such a bargaining chip? He felt the unfamiliar: thrill, excitement. _Why stop there? How many bats could he hit with one stone?_

_'My son, Zagreus? Yes, he was trained by the hero Achilles.'_

_The listener would gasp. Achilles? The greatest fighter of his generation?_

_'Ah, and what's more--he is my guardsman, no shade would dare take up arms against him. The House is more secure than ever.'_

Hades was nodding to himself, the fantasy so real, so easily obtained. _All I have to do is send a single shade to Elysium. And this will be mine._

"I have a proposal for you, son of Peleus." Hades was grinning.

Achilles agreed to the pact so readily that Hades wondered if there was some underlying trick of the Fates he couldn't see yet. _No matter._

\---

Patroclus stared at two glowing skeletons that were fighting each other, hate and anger radiating from them. The chains around their wrists rattled loudly with every clash of ghoulish fists. _Is this what he would become?_

As he understood it, this was not his final destination. Hades had mulled over the parchment for a while, said he 'hadn't decided yet', and now--this place. _Erebus._ He pulled his cloak around himself, tried not to make what passed for eye contact with any of the roaming creatures that surrounded him. _What did he know for sure?_

_He was dead, obviously. He had known that when Hector stood over him. He knew he had been buried and given a funeral, eventually--what cruel irony that Achilles heard him only after he was dead--and given enough coin for passage._

_Oh, Achilles._

Patroclus willed himself not to cry, not to weep for this man he held so much anger for, but could not help himself. _Achilles. Why did the Fates tie us so tightly together, only to separate us so cruelly? Are we doomed in death, as we were in life?_

"Hiya, Patroclus! It's time to get back on the boat--looks like Elysium, lucky guy!"

Hermes whisked him away without any word from Patroclus. _What was there to be said, anyway?_ He was on the ferry again, this time for the meadows of Elysium. _Someone had found him worthy, apparently._

He swore he saw the messenger squeeze the boatman's forearm, a quick and subtle signal of affection. _Something he would have done to Achilles._ Patroclus didn't bother trying to stop the tears. It was seemingly just his state of being now: weeping for Achilles. He pitied himself. _He hated himself._

He hated Achilles. _He pitied Achilles. The man he loved was not the man he left behind in Troy._

_He hated the gods. He found no pity in his heart for any of them._

Patroclus buried his head in his hands, trying to focus on the gentle rocking of the waves, the steady rhythm of Charon's oar meeting water. _Would Achilles be here, eventually? Would it all be worth it, then?_

_And who would come back to him? The man of stone at whose feet he'd wept and who'd turned him away, to his death?_

_Or the Achilles he knew in Phthia, the man he had followed to the end of the world because his devotion was so absolute. The one he still dreamed of._

_We had been so in love, once. There was nothing stronger, nothing stronger than you, than us--_

_Why did you choose glory in the end, rather than be loved?_

_Perhaps I will ask, if--when--you arrive. We made so many promises. I must believe you would keep this one, if no others._

\---

They would sail to Troy in the morning; it had been decided. In some other life, they would grow old and live long, peaceful lives in obscurity. Forgotten, but happy. Forgotten, but together. Some other life--not this one, not here. They held each other tightly and wept.

"Patroclus."

He nodded.

"When it happens--" _The prophecy. His death._

"Achilles..." Patroclus whispered, dread welling up inside him.

"No, listen. When I die--" Achilles swallowed. He was barely seventeen. "When I die, I will wait for you. In the Underworld, I promise I will wait for you."

"Achilles," Patroclus whispered again.

"Do you promise me, too?" Achilles' vibrant green eyes were searching his.

Sorrow and ache filled Patroclus' heart. _When you die, I will follow soon after. You would not need to wait long._

"I promise."

\---

Patroclus found a quiet glade, away from the buzz of exalted warriors and boisterous shades. A towering statue of an Achaean soldier stood in the glade and it comforted him, one of the first familiar things he'd found in the Underworld thus far.

 _This is the place_ , he thought. _I will wait for you here._

He was filled with bitterness, that was true, but there was something else underneath. _You did not forget. I must believe you did not forget._

Patroclus settled on the lush green grass, closed his eyes and listened to the flowing waters of the Lethe.

_You would not break this promise, Achilles. I know you would not._

_We will be together again, despite everything._

_And despite myself, I long to see you again. I want nothing more._

Patroclus let sleep take him and he dreamed, not of Troy, in all its death and despair, but of Greece and the man he hoped to someday see again.

\---

_How long had it been since he started this eternal pact? Was Patroclus out there still? Doubtless, he drank from the Lethe by now. Moved on with his existence._

_Perhaps he is well. Surely, at least, he does not suffer any longer._

Achilles let his thoughts drift to a reunion, a dangerous place for his mind to occupy. _Would he forgive me? Would he remember me? What could Achilles even tell him, to convey the depth of his remorse?_

He felt his throat become tight with emotion and resolved to concentrate on the procession of shades in the hall. _Focus on your work or you will end up like Orpheus, in an even lower pit. An even worse hell._

He heard Zagreus emerge from the River Styx, heard Hypnos greet him. _Do not let the prince see; he has enough to deal with, now. Do not make your problems his._

As Zagreus approached, Achilles saw he looked troubled. Perhaps as troubled as Achilles himself did.

"How fare your labors, lad? You have a certain look about you. Are you all right?"

"It's just...in Elysium, I happened upon a shade--it's your Patroclus, sir. He's all right, but it seems he has known better times than these. Is there something I should say to him, if I run into him again?"

 _Patroclus_. Achilles felt light-headed, breathless even though he had no use for air. _This is the closest he had been to Patroclus since his death. A chance to give him a message._

"Please, send him my regards and...all of my love. Tell him I think of him always and I have not forgotten our promise."

Achilles swallowed another wave of emotion that threatened to come.

"But I cannot see him any longer. And you mustn't ask me why, do you understand? Now...leave me, please. I need some time."

Zagreus looked stricken, like he wanted to say more, but he just nodded and left the hall.

The prince had continued to run messages between them; many days and nights passed. Zagreus was more often asking about Patroclus, of their life together on the surface, the war that claimed them both. Achilles had not spoken of him for so long, and now there was so much to say.

He harbored a growing fear that Zagreus would try to mend the pact Achilles had signed so long ago. _The gods and the fates had never been kind to him; intentions can be good and still have disastrous outcomes._

Still, Achilles said a small prayer to the god of blood, of life--this boy that had taken such an interest in the problems of two mere shades.

_So much had changed in the Underworld because of Zagreus' influence, was it so unthinkable that he could change the terms of a single pact?_

He let the thought take hold, just for a moment.

_There was no harm in a passing fantasy. There was no shame in hope._

\---


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Achilles is already having a difficult adjustment to his new life, then he's assigned by Hades to train his son, who he says will be difficult and insubordinate. 
> 
> Zagreus meets the House's new royal guard and Realizes some Things about himself.

"The hero Achilles! Welcome!" Zagreus overheard his father say from the Great Hall.

"The shades won't shut up about this guy," the prince said to Thanatos, Death Incarnate, who sat across from him in the lounge. His best friend, who also would not stop talking about this Achilles, about the 'Trojan War'. _Who cares about some surface war?_

Thanatos looked contemplative.

"Well, he's supposed to be the best warrior of his generation," he said with a shrug. "You've seen how many of these shades are Trojan soldiers."

"Who is the war against, again?" A heavy sigh as an answer.

"I have to get back to work, Zagreus."

"Aw, c'mon, already?"

"There's...a war, Zag--these things are related."

Zagreus scoffed, indignant. _He knew that._ Thanatos rolled his eyes, nudged his shoulder against Zagreus'.

"See you later, Zag."

The prince made a noise of acknowledgment and Thanatos rolled his eyes again before disappearing in a flash of green light.

Zagreus leaned back in his chair: a game born of boredom and against gravity. He teetered the chair on its back legs, pushing himself back further with a flame-foot on the table.

Nyx caught his gaze and he knew to stop. He slumped out of the chair and into the hall. _He'll just go to his room, if he's so offensive to everyone._

His father was still talking to the shade everyone has been clamoring about. _Why is it taking so long? Just go to Elysium already._ Zagreus wanted to get a good look at him--this was his house too, after all, it was his right--he should see this hero everyone loves. _Who is this guy? Probably another Theseus._

_Oh._

_Wow._

Achilles was shockingly beautiful--his features were both delicate and sharp; he had bright, golden hair that brushed his well-muscled shoulders, he had a strong jaw and soft, full lips. His gaze fell on Zagreus and their eyes met--Zagreus felt his breath catch. _Oh._

"That's my son, pay him no mind. He just drifts in and out of the halls at his whim. A helmless ship, and just as destructive."

He didn't respond to the insult, he was too captivated by this shade. Achilles. Their eyes met again and Zagreus felt flighty, like Achilles might hear the odd thoughts he was having about him. The prince scurried back to his bedchambers. He could still see those green eyes holding his, the raw intensity of his gaze. _Achilles._

\---

Zagreus reclined on his back at the edge of the courtyard, dangling his legs over the steep cliff edge. _What do I wanna do today? Meg is still mad, duh, Than is gone, duh--mm, I could go see what Cerberus is up to. Why not? Nothing ever changes--blood and darkness!_

Achilles was standing over him. _When the--how did he get here? He hadn't heard any footsteps._

"Achilles!" Zagreus yelped, feeling caught for some reason. Achilles looked sullen and far away, like he didn't notice Zagreus' startled reaction.

"Hail, Prince. It is your father's wish that you learn armed combat, and he has decided I am to teach you."

"...Aren't you supposed to be in Elysium?"

A flurry of emotions cast over Achilles features, then he was blank again.

"I have my orders, here. And my orders are to teach you everything I know in the art of war."

"...Oh."

 _So you're staying, then?_ Zagreus felt a thrill at the thought.

"It begins now," Achilles said wearily.

"Oh!"

Zagreus scrambled to his feet and gave Achilles an apologetic smile.

"Do you have any training at all?"

"No, sir."

Achilles looked at him oddly.

"All right. We'll start with the basics, then."

\---

Achilles was thrown by the prince's deference to him, but did not let himself drop his guard. This was still a god, even if he seemed harmless. _They are capable of unimaginable cruelty. You know this firsthand._

Hades had warned him of Zagreus' difficulty, how he did not listen and couldn't be led. Achilles looked at the prince now, repeatedly throwing his spear into the wooden target with startling accuracy, just as Achilles had shown him. Despite himself, he was impressed.

Despite himself, he wanted to test the boy's skill directly. How would he fare against a target that could fight back?

_How would it feel to spill his ichor, for all his father has done to me?_

He wrestled the ugly thought away-- _he is not his father and has done nothing to you. You are better than this._

Zagreus had stopped his drills to alternately twirl the spear in his hand and jab it in the space in front of him. Achilles felt his throat tighten with sudden emotion.

_Patroclus twirled his spear, grinning. He jabbed it playfully at Achilles._

_'Don't look so glum. It is a beautiful day and you're about to lose to the best of the Myrmidons.'_

_Achilles was defiant, determined to stay angry about--who could even say? It was all insignificant, now._

_Patroclus was just as determined, just as defiant to pull Achilles out of this mood of his. He kept twirling his spear, intermittently prodding at Achilles with the blunt end._

_'Are you going to stay there and brood or come spar with me? This isn't very sporting.'_

_'Stop it.'_

_'No.'_

_Achilles' hand snapped up to catch Patroclus' next jab at him. He looked at Patroclus wearily. Patroclus smiled at him sweetly, not the impish grin from before._

_'Do you truly not want to spar? Let's go down to the beach and swim, then. We shouldn't stay inside on such a fine day.'_

"Stop it," Achilles said, maybe too harshly. Zagreus looked embarrassed and held his spear still. Achilles felt shame prick at him and he closed his eyes against it, willed it away. _Get a hold of yourself._

_'Achilles!' Patroclus howled with laughter as Achilles splashed him. He tackled Patroclus into the surf and kissed him; he was laughing, too._

He opened his eyes, flexed his hands on his spear. _Stop. Stop it. That is not yours, anymore._

_This is your new existence. The sooner you accept it, the better._

\---

Achilles looked pained--Zagreus saw him take a long, shaky breath before his face went blank again.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"It is no concern of yours. Return to your drills."

Zagreus nodded, suddenly grateful that he wouldn't have to know. _Something terrible happened to this shade._

\---

Achilles returned to what he understood was his post. He could see most of the House from here, between the Master's chambers and some sort of administrative chamber. He could see the procession of shades, some of which broke away to greet him, to call him a hero.

_Is this what it will be? A reminder every day, every night, every moment--the hero, Achilles--slaughterer of Trojans, weapon of the gods. Look at him now, I hear he is training the son of Hades to kill as efficiently as he did. Ares must smile upon him so! His star pupil. His greatest creation._

_Here is your glory, Achilles. Everyone remembers you._

_How does it feel?_

_Was it worth it?_

_Stop it. Stop it. Stop--_

\---

Days and nights blended together in this place, this pit below the world he knew.

Zagreus treated Achilles as a friend, despite the lack of reciprocity--even going so far as to start telling Achilles about his personal troubles. _Was the prince truly so alone that he would resort to conversation with his father's glorified trophy?_ Zagreus had taken his silence as encouraging--a good listener--but Achilles simply didn't want to be involved. The 'problems' Zagreus had were childish, trivial.

_You know nothing of pain. You know nothing of suffering._

Achilles kept training Zagreus, and kept searching for double-meanings in the prince's words, kept expecting a sudden flash of anger or spite. Nothing of the sort came. Zagreus had no hidden motive and no cruelty in his heart.

He was just young, or at least appeared to be, with boundless energy and no real outlet for it. There was no malice, just--boredom.

_Achilles groaned and stretched out on the sand._

_'I'm so bored, Patroclus.'_

_Patroclus laughed beside him._

_'You don't enjoy resting in the sun?'_

_'It's boring.'_

_'You don't enjoy listening to the water?'_

_Achilles groaned again, picking up a twig and prodding it into the sand._

_'I want to do something.'_

_Patroclus laughed again._

_'Why aren't you content with doing nothing? It is nice, if you'd try.'_

_'It's boring,' Achilles insisted._

_'What if we went fishing for dinner, then?'_

_Achilles tilted his head, contemplating the idea. He started to smile._

_'Yes, let's.'_

_Achilles shouted with joy, a large river fish was at the end of his spear._

_'Did you see, Patroclus?' Achilles asked, even though he had heard Patroclus exclaim, too._

_'You were incredible!'_

_Achilles puffed his chest out--hero, conqueror of fish--and then laughed. Patroclus was laughing, too._

Achilles watched Zagreus diligently running through his drills, as was their routine now. His form had improved considerably in such a short time. Zagreus was an exceptional student, not the hard-headed layabout Hades had assured Achilles he was.

_He was just bored._

"Let us do something different today," Achilles said, approaching Zagreus.

"Not the bow again--"

"No, not the bow," Achilles agreed.

"We shall practice on a different target for this lesson--the fish of the river Styx."

"Oh!" Zagreus brightened considerably. "Fishing!"

Zagreus was talented at this as well--Achilles had no doubt that he would be. Achilles found himself identifying the fish in the river, Chiron's knowledge had been vast and he remembered each detail. Achilles' mother had taught him much of the denizens of Poseidon's waters, too, being what she was.

"Did you know that my mother was a Nereid?" Achilles said, finding it easier to make conversation in this slightly less-formal setting. _He also had not wanted to before now._

Zagreus froze and his eyes darted to the bucket of chlams he had gathered.

"Uh-- This isn't...offensive to you, is it?"

Achilles laughed--probably the first laugh he had had in this wretched place.

"No, lad."

A sigh of relief, a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, thank the gods," Zagreus said, turning his gaze back to the river.

\---

Achilles was developing a comfortable relationship with the son of Hades; he would even say he enjoyed his company. Zagreus did not see things as his father did and was free with his thoughts, his feelings. Both of which were numerous.

Zagreus was oddly quiet and reserved when Achilles arrived to train him.

"You seem troubled, lad. Is something on your mind?"

"I'm going to the surface," he said simply.

Achilles thought he misheard, though he knew he did not. A treacherous path lay before both of them.

"Zagreus, do not act in haste--"

"I'm not and you cannot convince me to stay. I will be going soon, with or without your blessing."

_The determination in his eyes, his conviction--well, it was familiar._

_'I will go, in your guise. Just to draw them off the ships. Then we will leave Troy, this wretched place.'_

_Achilles had made so many mistakes in his life. He would not make this one again._

"I will do everything I can to help you, lad. Tell me what I can do."

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! I just can't stop writing about these Sad Dads!
> 
> If you're sad and would like to see a happy resolution, good news:
> 
> This is a prequel to both [Forever Starts Tonight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781808/chapters/70581138) (Patrochilles Reunion) and [Can't Just Ask](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29033076) (OT3 n' expands on Zagreus' crush/Achilles reaction to it)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to da missus for her editing and for not judging me when I cry a lil while clacking away on my fanfictions.
> 
> [twidder](https://twitter.com/peanuts_envy)


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